Stranger things have happened
by Tempest Autum
Summary: Sometimes Alex couldn't stand Wolf's guts. And mostly Wolf could just about strangle his ward. But some days, they had quite a good run together.
1. Chapter 1

It's not the raging alarm or the sound of unfamiliar footsteps pounding their way through the house. Not the way his guardian frantically dragged his from his room, not bothered to put on a shirt but a gun ready in his right hand.

Alex can hear shouting, a different language, clear message: find them.

Kill them.

It's not even that realization that makes him so terrified. It's Wolf.

Wolf's panic isn't obvious, he goes through motions like a well-oiled machine, like you can come to expect from a SAS operative.

It's the clipped tone of his voice, the urgency in his words that somehow slice through Alex's imaginary safety bubble.

"Alex" They stopped in front of an airshaft. Had that always been here? On the 2nd, eh , no 3rd floor? Where-

"Alex, look at me!" Blue eyes meet brown. Alex wants to smooth over the frown on his guardians face. Tell him it's going to be alright.

"Alex. Cub… snap out of it!" Wolf shakes him roughly.

See, they're alright.

The world turns crooked and blurry when he gets lifted in those strong arms. His legs are maneuvered inside the shaft, which had been closed a moment before. Did Wolf do that?

Alex didn't let go of the semi- hug, ignoring the frantic pushing.

"Wolf?"

"Cub, please-" There was the sound of fear again, so alien in Wolfs voice. "Please. Please, let go Cub. You need to… they're coming. I-you need to go," he urged.

Go? No, they needed to stay together.

Alex shook his head, defiantly not agreeing, refusing to.

"Cub, you need to listen! Go down, get out of the house, run to Snakes. Got it?"

Alex opened his mouth to vehemently protest.

"Wolf?" was all that he got out, confusion that felt a lot like panic blocking rational thoughts.

What's going on?

In answer he got a swift kiss on the forehead, barely there. And a firm push.

"Go! You'll be alright"

Alex nodded. They would be.

Descending the shaft was tricky, at some points so narrow Alex couldn't picture Wolf getting through it. But now was not the time to question his guardian. He had said they would be alright, didn't he?

Alex didn't listen to the start sound of firing guns above him.

Alex reached the basement, like he was ordered. _Go down_

_Get out of the house_. He broke a small window coming out on street level, and climbed into a nearby standing bush, sprinting of onto the streets of London.

Where to go? _Run to Snakes_. His feet automatically knew the way.

Where's Wolf? He should have been right behind. Do I need to wait? _Go!_

Before he knew it he was standing at Snakes door, ringing the bell for who knows how many times.

The look on Snake's face must have mirrored some of Alex's own shock. He was ushered inside, somebody was pulling on his shirt, dragging him to a warm room, checking him over, shacking, talking…

"Cub? Cub! Talk to me"

Somehow he couldn't form words. Tell Snake it was alright. _You'll be alright_

"Ales what happened? Where is Wolf?"

Right behind him, right? Alex looked but only saw the warm tones and fluffy furniture of Snake's home.

"Where's Wolf?" he echoed. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the lovely responses on the first chapter, it made me really happy!**

**Important to know: This story has two timelines, the first timeline started with the previous chapter. This second chapter starts weeks before, and explains how Alex an Wolf came to be where they are at in chapter one. Third chapter will continue on chapter one, fourt chapter will continue on chapter two. So I switch between the two timelines every other chapter. If this isn't clear feel free to ask me!**

**Warning: this contains some swearing**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Alex was staring so hard, he didn't even notice the car pulling up the driveway and Wolf turning off the engine.

"Stop staring." Wolf fixed him a glance.

"Why?" Alex held his voice soft, even though the question was burning.

"Because it's annoying. You're annoying. I'm annoyed. You need to stop it." And that was about the most conversation Wolf had ever had with him.

Alex again burned holes on the side of Wolfs face when the latter reached to undo the seatbelt and roll up the window, manually.

"No, I mean _why_," Alex emphasized. Why where they doing this?

Alex found it a fair question.

Wolf shrugged a bit stiffly, uncomfortable with the weight of the question. "I don't know."

Which was, in all fairness, the most honest answer Alex could get.

Alex had known when he left for the bank this morning he wouldn't be returning to his home in Chelsea any time soon. With Jack gone it was sort of a relief actually, the empty spaces a constant reminder of what used to be home and family, and now nothing but thin air.

Not even a lovely memory. Alex refused to think of the times they spend as a family as simply gone, the thought so brutal he didn't dare to have. The memory of Jack forever tainted with her horrible death.

He had expected another mission, far away, possibly deadly, and for once had already agreed before entering Blunts office.

Instead of a mission, Alex got faced with a treat. Apparently somebody out there was willing to pay a good sum of money to see his head rolling. The check going to anybody who managed to achieve that goal. Alex was fair game.

And Wolf was there, representing the security force that needed to insure his safety.

After that notification a long dwelling discussion arose about the practicalities of saving his arse from assassination. His house was criticized, a too well-known location and without proper security system.

The two options the Heads of MI6 could come up with were A) moving a small army into his home, or B) moving Alex out to a more befitting location.

The name Brecon Beacons was dropped a time or two, to Alex's utter horror.

That is until Wolf finally butted in with the grace of a rhino and concluded that the kid could stay at his place.

That was the point where Alex had stopped trying to make things logical in his head.

Wolf had made a swift argument that his home was probably the most safest in the whole of London. Apparently Wolfs apartment wasn't only equipped with the latest, highly advanced, highly expensive alarmsystem, he also had some weapons to spare and daily friendly visits of SAS elite to add to the charm.

Besides Alex would have a live-in bodyguard, which really made the cherry on the cake.

Alex had shaken his head in disagreement, but that opinion went to the deaf.

So Alex and Wolf had left the bank, both consumed by their own thoughts.

The car ride had been silent and gloomy, Wolf seeming disgruntled with his own bright idea and Alex at a lost to what just happened.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Alex was surprised by the mundane street view. Somehow he had expected a fort including a channel and watchtowers. Instead he was looking at perfectly kept Duplex houses.

"My neighbor, ground floor, usually isn't in," Wolf explained while going up the stepping stones of number 55, "he's a bit of an oddball."

"That's-" Alex desperately tried to find something descent to respond with, last thing he wanted was for an early fallout with his new guardian-of-sorts, "interesting."

Stepping inside the house was an even more anti-climax then the outside had been. A mostly bare decor greeted him, with a steep stairway leading upstairs and a brown door on the end of the hallway. Supposedly the entrance to the home of Mr. Ground floor Oddball.

Wolf hurried to the right, typing in a series of numbers on a small black box hanging of the wall. Must be the overpriced alarmsystem, Alex thought.

Wolf turned sideways to him, "code is-"

"I already know," Alex butted in. "Saw you type it in…"

He shrugged at Wolfs disbelieving stare, not his fault he had become more observing than your regular teenager. Being a child spy had its consequences.

They proceeded upstairs where another black box got the same treatment.

Alex was glad Wolf decided not to say what he was about to say, and shut his mouth after opening it once. Because, yes, Alex had already seen this code too.

Wolfs apartment was a stereotype bachelor condo. The place was small, but well decorated, soft tones complemented by warm light. Though nothing overly personal.

Alex followed Wolf from room to room, getting the fastest tour imaginable.

"So this is the living room," they proceeded, "this the kitchen, " moving on, "lavatory", just one-word introductions from there on, "laundry" going upstairs to the third floor "bathroom", "guestroom" and a final pointedly spoken wrap-up, "_my_ room".

Back in the living room they stood there awkwardly. The carried and the tour at least had given them a purpose.

"So where do you want to put me?" _Like I'm some sort of new furniture_, Alex thought bitterly.

"The guestroom's a bit packed," Wolf scratched along his stubbled jaw. "So maybe the couch?"

"You really thought this trough didn't you?" Alex scowled.

"Maybe you should show some gratitude," Wolf cut back.

"For what?!" Alex raised his voice. "A spot on your _couch_?"

He didn't want to be there if Wolf obviously didn't want him there.

The leer angered Wolf visibly, "Well, what are you going to do about it?! Forget it, this was such a bad idea."

"Yeah it was," Alex replied hot tempered.

"Shut it brat," Wolf growled.

"Fuck that, Wolf"

"Just shut the fuck up!"

"Fuck you!"

The shouting ended abruptly in favor of two death glares. They were standing in the living room, only a few feet apart, Wolf easily had a couple inched over Alex, but the latter didn't care. So much for a good start.

How lovely.

While looking at Wolfs angered features, Alex's defiance mutated into sadness. So this was how it was going to be?

Wolf must have felt the change 'cause his expression softened slightly.

"So-" they started in union.

Alex shrugged and then awkwardly waved at Wolf to continue first.

"So I'm going to head out for a bit," Wolf hesitatingly informed. "Food's in the kitchen, and uh, well…"

Wolf looked around the small space. "You can watch some telly or something," he pointed at hard-to-miss flat screen opposite the couch.

Alex gave a acknowledging nod and Wolf took that as his cue to fled the scene.

Alone and a little at a loss to what to do in the unfamiliar house, Alex made his way to the couch. He felt suddenly drained, his thoughts going into overdrive and simultaneously not having the energy to pay attention to his own musings.

He curled up on his new-found bed, sleep overpowering his turmoil.

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**R&R – Tempest**


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